On June 1, 2025 Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, during an official visit to Doha.
The meeting underscored the two nations’ shared intent to deepen bilateral cooperation and address pressing regional challenges.
According to a statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the talks centered on enhancing existing partnerships and exploring new areas of collaboration.
The diplomatic relationship between Rwanda and Qatar spans key sectors such as aviation, ICT, security, and infrastructure, including the $2 billion Bugesera International Airport project, which Qatar Airways is co-investing in and is expected to complete by 2028.
In addition to bilateral issues, the two leaders discussed Qatar’s role in facilitating peace in the Great Lakes Region, particularly its mediation between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Doha has positioned itself as a neutral ground for dialogue, hosting ongoing negotiations involving the DRC government and the M23 rebel group. The talks aim to address long-standing tensions rooted in ethnic and security concerns in eastern DRC.
Rwanda, often accused by the DRC of supporting the M23, has refuted these claims. Kigali maintains that the real threat stems from the FDLR militia, whose elements are linked to the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and remain active near the Rwandan border with the DRC.
This latest high-level engagement follows February talks between President Paul Kagame and the Emir of Qatar, and Qatar’s recent approval of a draft mutual visa waiver agreement that facilitates easier travel for ordinary Rwandan passport holders.
As regional peace efforts gain momentum under the African Union’s new unified mediation framework, Rwanda and Qatar’s growing partnership signals a shared commitment to both diplomacy and development.
